Texas court of criminal appeals
Coverage of Texas court of criminal appeals in the Nexus archive.
- SCOTUS refuses to hear Texas man’s intellectual disability defense in death penalty case
The Supreme Court refused to hear Victor Saldaño's intellectual disability defense in his death penalty case, despite Justice Sotomayor's dissent highlighting expert evaluations concluding his intellectual disability. Saldaño's legal team argued his trial attorney failed to present mental health evidence, and Texas courts rejected his habeas application for insufficient evidence.
- Paxton-backed Thomas Smith defeats Alison Fox in GOP runoff for Texas’ highest criminal court
Thomas Smith, backed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, defeated Alison Fox in a Republican runoff for a seat on Texas' Court of Criminal Appeals. The court has experienced significant turnover as Paxton has targeted incumbent judges.
- Texas court overturns sentence for man on death row for nearly 50 years
Clarence Curtis Jordan, a 70-year-old man with intellectual disabilities, had his death sentence overturned by the Texas court of criminal appeals after being found incompetent for execution. The court ruled his 1978 conviction for murder was flawed due to his intellectual disabilities and lack of legal representation for over 30 years.